


You Seem Familiar

by Dmsilvis



Series: SPN Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Familiars, M/M, Wicca, Witch - Freeform, mention of Jessica's death, withces relationships with familiars in human form
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 01:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20480687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dmsilvis/pseuds/Dmsilvis
Summary: Sam is a witch without a familiar and after a tragedy in his past he doesn't want a familiar.The constant feeling of eyes on him might change that.





	You Seem Familiar

**Author's Note:**

> For @shealynn88 on Tumblr who requested "For prompts, I'd love to see a Sam + character of your choice - witch and familiar meet-cute. Romantic or not, as you choose. :)"
> 
> Alpha and beta reader: navajolovesdestiel
> 
> I know nothing about wicca practices or familiars besides what I’ve read in fanfic so excuse any glaring oddities here. Enjoy.

Sam knows he's being followed.

He can feel eyes on him no matter what time of day or where he is. 

However any time that he turns to look, there isn't anyone there, no familiar faces. He just can't shake the feeling. 

It has put him on edge. 

Sam walks into his beloved cozy home. It was the natural light of the place that convinced him to buy the property. The windows were large and every room had a skylight. There was a large yard and a creek that ran along his property line. 

All of the wonders of nature a witch in training could ask for.

He had just come from a session with Rowena, she was very pleased with his progress and stated, not for first time that this was natural for him. Natural or not, the lessons were exhausting. He showered quickly and went to bed, laying there staring at the stars through his skylight. 

It should be relaxing but he still felt eyes on him as exhaustion took over and he fell asleep.

***

A thump and scraping sound wakes him violently from his sleep. It’s the middle of the night but the moon is bright outside, illuminating his skylight and on it he sees a shadow, appears to be an animal but it’s scrambling it seems to not fall off his roof, it’s moving too frantically and in complete silhouette, he can’t make out what kind of animal it is. 

He jumps out of bed, and decides he may be able to help the poor thing, maybe it’s caught on something, or hurt, he makes it out his front door just in time to see what looks like a cat bound off of his roof and through the hedge to the neighboring yard. It must have climbed the massive oak tree dividing the properties and fallen from the tree. The way it was running it seemed fine. Sam shook off the interruption and went back inside to return to his much needed sleep.

***

The next day Sam decided to spend some time tending his garden, doing yard work and basically enjoying his property. He had only moved in two months previously and hadn’t yet met any of his neighbors. Before that he was renting a room above Rowena’s shop. While moving leaves and brush to his compost bin, he caught another glimpse of the cat. At least he thought it was the same cat. It ducked back through the hedge quickly and shot onto his neighbor’s porch and through the cat door. It appeared to be sleek and brown, which Sam couldn’t remember ever seeing a brown cat like that. It was beautiful.

Sam cleaned up and decided he was going to take some fresh catnip from his container garden inside, to the neighbor as a gift and to say hello and introduce himself. He also had several blends of tea he combined himself that he would give to it’s owners if they drank tea.

When he got to the door he didn’t have to knock, the door swung open and the woman leaving the house looked flustered! 

She stepped back quickly and her eyes went wide when she peered up at him.

She was lovely he thought first, long brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, second he felt intimidated. How could such a little girl intimidate him. As if she heard his thoughts she squared her shoulders and raised to her full height. All 5 foot 4 inches of her, Sam estimated. He stepped back a couple steps and held his hand out.

“Hello I’m Sam Winchester, I moved in next door, I’m sorry I haven’t had time to say hello properly but I saw a cat duck into your house, I think the poor thing fell onto my roof from the oak last night, and I wanted to make sure it was okay. I also brought a present for it, and for you if you’re a tea drinker--”

Sam stopped rambling, he realized the lady hadn’t spoken yet, or shook his hand. She looked at him and smiled though, then put a hand on his chest to stop him and it felt like his world shifted. Like a thunderclap or a soundwave in a movie.

It appeared that she felt it too, if the look on her face was any indication. They both stepped back and stared at each other.

She started to gesture with her hands and speak that she hadn’t understood him because he was staring at his feet while he spoke and Sam felt like an ass. If he hadn’t rambled like an idiot and didn’t give her a chance to introduce herself he would’ve known she was hearing impaired.

So she held out her hand and flashed a brilliant smile. 

“I’m Eileen Leahy”

Sam smiled back “Sam Winchester” he took her hand and there was the wave again. He gave her a questioning look “did you feel that?”

Eileen looked up at him but only shook her head in the negative but Sam suspected she wasn’t being truthful.

Sam chose to ignore it for now, instead he handed her a bundle of tea and catnip. Making sure to speak clearly he repeated his previous ramble only slower. He watched Eileen slowly smile and then begin to laugh.

“Thank you for your concern Sam, but yes she is fine, she’ll appreciate the catnip I’m sure, and I’ll enjoy the tea, thank you.” She reached in her front door and sat the package on a table near her door. “I’m sorry but I was just leaving for an appointment”

Sam put up his hand, “oh! Yes I’m sorry, nice to meet you Eileen.” He walked off of her porch with her.

“You too, I’ll see you around.” Eilleen spoke and signed, then walked to the sidewalk and continued on her way. Sam headed over to his yard with a smile on his face.

Over the next two days Sam only felt like he was being watched a few times and every time he looked there was nothing there.

Sam walked into Rowena’s house two days later and before he crossed the welcome mat she stopped him.

“Samuel there’s something very different about you today.” Rowena gave him a sly smirk, “did you finally find a young lady to take the edge off?”

Sam blushed “No Rowena, I’m just happy.”

“Honestly Sam, the power radiating off of you today is so potent, are sure nothing has changed, it’s only been two days since our last lesson?”

Sam sat down in Rowena’s parlor and picked up the cup of tea that she always had ready for them when he arrived. 

“Actually I did meet someone, but not like that, I just introduced myself to my neighbor, but now that you mention it, something weird did happen when I met her.” Sam quickly recounted his meeting with Eilleen to Rowena.

Rowena looks thoughtful and like she didn’t want to mention what she had to mention.

“Sam you’ve been my pupil now for, almost 7 years?”

“Yes”

“And I know you never expressed interest in familiars and I understand why you’re scared Sam but I think we need to discuss it.”

“No Ro, no, you know my history, why would you even--”

“Its been ten years Sam, you can’t blame yourself for Jessica’s death--”

Sam stood up suddenly, knocking over Rowena’s tiny tea table and sending cups and saucers shattering to the floor.

“My inexperience got Jess killed I can certainly blame myself!” Rowena stood and put a comforting hand on Sam’s forearm,

“No Sam you blame the evil man who wanted you for your power.” 

Sam deflated and sat back down.

“Sam you’ve been teetering on the edge of fully releasing your power and this fear you have of giving into it all stems from ten years ago. Allowing a bond with a familiar could help you. You coming here every few days to learn from me is a bit useless now, I’ve taught you everything I can. At least until you’re willing to let your powers increase.” 

“Sam, your very own brother is one of the most powerful familiars I’ve ever met, and you’ve seen how he and Castiel work so well together, feeding off of each others power, helping each other. I would hope your opinion had changed over the years.”

She was met with silence.

Rowena refused to let Sam help clean the tea and shattered china, while they continued to chat. 

“How has Dean been with that delicious husband of his?” 

Sam laughed “They’re great Ro,Claire and Jack keep them on their toes. How’s Gabe? Where is he anyway?”

Rowena cooed and clicked her tongue and a brown and white terrier ran into the parlor and jumped on Sam’s lap, licking his face. Rowena chuckled. 

“Gabriel behave yourself!” Rowena mock scolded the dog and he whined and quickly transformed into a human man, still sitting on Sam’s lap

“Hiya hot stuff!” Gabe smiled brightly at Sam and Sam gave him a half hearted bitchface “What? it’s the only way I’m allowed to kiss you!”

“Gabriel!” Rowena snapped and Gabe pouted but stood and walked over to Rowena wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

She smiled at him and Sam looked on at the domestic scene and felt an ache in chest.

He sighed and stood up “Look Ro, I’m not feeling like a lesson tonight if it’s all the same to you, I’m gonna head home.”

Rowena gave him an exasperated sigh but relented, Sam let himself out and left Rowena and Gabriel to their now free evening.

***

Sam was gardening one morning a couple days later when the cat sauntered through the hedge and sniffed at Sam cautiously. 

“Hello there beautiful,” The cat looked up at Sam and blinked at him slowly, Sam held out his hand and the cat booped it’s head against it. Sam’s world tilted again. The cat purred and seemed to not be bothered. Sam chanced another touch, again the world shifted, but it wasn’t as staggering this time. Sam stood and picked up the cat, ignoring the feeling of disorientation until he was passt it. He pet her behind the ears as he walked over to Eileen’s house.

“Let’s get you home, no offense but I’m planting some stuff that’s dangerous for cats, and until I get a fence up it’s not safe for you.” The cat purred and Sam was reluctant to put her down.

Sam hit the visual doorbell and no one answered, Sam looked at the cat who had jumped up onto the porch railing and stared at him. It watched him intently. 

“Well I suppose you have a cat door I’ll leave you here.” He gave her another scratch that she leaned into and Sam felt an immense calm come over him.

As he walked back over to his house, he pulled out his phone and dialed Dean, he got voicemail. “Hey Dean, it’s Sammy, I need info on familiars, give me a call when you’re free”

He dialed Rowena, and she picked up first ring “Hello Samuel.” 

“Hey Rowena, I’m ready to talk about a familiar bond, when you have the time”

Sam sat down on his porch and pretended to not notice the cat watching him from the hedge. Later, he pretended to not notice her in the branch of an oak tree. 

The next day he pretended he didn’t see her quietly follow him as he walked to Rowena’s.

Over the next two weeks he noticed as Eileen and her cat were never in the same place together.

The eyes watching him from Eileen’s attic window while he crushed herbs in his sunroom, or the 

Slinky shadow when he had his morning run.

The only time the cat let him see her was when he was outside in the garden or on his porch. It would come visit him, purr, meow, even curl up near him, everytime he felt calm, even though he felt his magic bubble to the surface like an unscratchable itch.

She would also visit him when he was watching his tablet or reading on his porch. She visited several times while he was watching ASL videos trying to re-learn a language he had forgotten since college. He was hoping to be able to talk to Eileen fluently soon.

He rarely saw Eileen at all actually, occasionally as she entered or left her house they would exchange brief pleasantries.

Armed with all the knowledge he needed on familiars, Sam had a theory but didn’t know how to broch the subject. So instead of starting with Eileen, he started with the cat. 

Sitting on his porch one night reading an ancient book Rowena gave him, he felt the cat’s presence. 

“You might as well show yourself, I know you’re there.” Soft paws patted at his socked toes. He laughed and bent down to pick her up. She sat on his lap, right on the book he was reading and purred up at him. He sighed.

“You know, I think your momma is very pretty, is she single?” The cat blinked. “Hmm. I can’t say that I like her because I haven’t gotten to know her, she’s never around, but I would like to get to know her, can you tell her that?” The cat purred louder “I was reading that you know,” he tapped the book and the cat just settled more into her curled up position like it was fixing to take a nap. “See, I’m a witch, do you know about those? Quite common in my world actually, I was reading this book about familiars, because it’s been a long time since I’ve allowed myself to have one. I fell in love in college with another young witch, a very strong familiar who wanted my power, took her life.” The cat’s head poked up and she meowed a weak little broken sound. “Yeah, I felt the same way. I had to kill that familiar, and I told myself I wouldn’t go that route again.” The cat stood and put it’s front paws on Sam’s chest and sniffed then licked Sam’s cheek, Sam hadn’t realized any tears had fallen until that moment. Sam sniffed. “So anyway, I’m thinking about a familiar companion again, so I was reading what you made your bed on” The cat jumped to the back of Sam’s chair, partially laying on the chair and partly on Sam’s shoulders, laid it’s head down and slept, purring near Sam’s ear.

He read out loud well into the night, when he got up around 3 am to go inside, the cat sauntered home, but not before Sam told it to tell it’s owner not to be a stranger.

***

The next afternoon there was a scratching at Sam’s front door. He opened it to the cat staring up at him and it walked right in his house like it belonged there.

Sam smiled as a calm washed over him and his magic lit a fire in his veins. “What brings you here today beautiful?”

Before his eyes the cat transformed, Sam stood back in awe even though he suspected this was coming. Stood in front of him, looking extremely nervous, was Eileen.

“Hello” he signed

She smiled and returned the hello following it with “You told me not to be a stranger.”


End file.
